Road trip: 2010 Audi Q7 diesel

Audi Q7 TDI instrument panel, showing an instant fuel economy of 5.9L/100km at 70 mph on a US Interstate where the speed limit is 70 mph.

PHOTO: Derek McNaughton, Canwest News Service

2010 Audi Q7 TDI.

PHOTO: Derek McNaughton, Canwest News Service

2010 Audi Q7 TDI.

PHOTO: Derek McNaughton, Canwest News Service

2010 Audi Q7 TDI.

PHOTO: Derek McNaughton, Canwest News Service

2010 Audi Q7 TDI.

PHOTO: Derek McNaughton, Canwest News Service

2010 Audi Q7 TDI.

PHOTO: Derek McNaughton, Canwest News Service

2010 Audi Q7 TDI.

PHOTO: Derek McNaughton, Canwest News Service

2010 Audi Q7 TDI.

PHOTO: Derek McNaughton, Canwest News Service

2010 Audi Q7 TDI.

PHOTO: Derek McNaughton, Canwest News Service

2010 Audi Q7 TDI.

PHOTO: Derek McNaughton, Canwest News Service

2010 Audi Q7 TDI.

PHOTO: Derek McNaughton, Canwest News Service

2010 Audi Q7 TDI.

PHOTO: Derek McNaughton, Canwest News Service

2010 Audi Q7 TDI luggage area for a family of four.

PHOTO: Derek McNaughton, Canwest News Service

By Derek McNaughton, Canwest News Service

Originally published: April 1, 2010

SMALL

MEDIUM

LARGE

Fifty-four hours. That’s how long it took for me to drive from Ottawa to St. Petersburg, Florida and back over spring break, covering a little more than 5,600 kms. It is a road trip definitely not for the dawdler.

While the spring weather back home was almost as warm as the lower parts of the Sunshine State, the drive itself was made truly remarkable, and not because of the massive helpings of food dished out at Cracker Barrel, nor the astonishing speed with which Americans drive on the highway.

No, the drive was a standout because of the steed with which we were blessed to possess for 14 days — the 2010 Audi Q7 TDI. Those three letters are Audi’s (and Volkswagen’s) polite way of saying diesel, a fuel that some will mistakenly label as dirty, but in reality holds as much promise as hybrid and electric technology, if only more people knew of its benefits and more was done to market its potential.

The Q7, of course, is pretty much the pinnacle of luxury in an SUV, with quality leather seats that never once made me ache or cramp up in the 50 hours of driving I completed. There’s a plethora of electronic capabilities in the Q7, a roof-length sunroof, an optional third row of seats, and an interior full of logical, aluminum-trimmed switches and gauges and monitors that do everything from tell you where the next rest-stop is located to how to park safely.

There’s a nifty “Side Assist” function that keeps an eye on the Q7’s blind spot. When changing lanes, a small yellow light in the side-view mirror will glow when an object creeps into the blind spot. If you signal while the light is on, the glow turns into an alarmingly bright yellow flashing light to prevent you from making a stupid move. At first, this seemed a bit over the top, but my wife and I came to appreciate its silent, simple effectiveness, especially on the long highway stints.

Without question, however, the most appealing aspect of this S-Line-trimmed Q7 was its tiny, 3.0-litre turbo diesel V6 engine. That size doesn’t sound like much, and the horsepower rating of 225 is less than most mid-sized sedans, but this wee scout of an engine is, in fact, capable of enormous things that completely belie its displacement.

Foremost among them is fuel efficiency, followed by power, refinement and 6,600 lbs. of towing ability.

Over the course of those many hundreds of kilometres, we maintained an average highway consumption of 8.9 litres/100km, or 31.7 imperial m.p.g. — and this while traveling at speeds averaging 80 m.p.h. on Interstate 95. Following other U.S. drivers, I even managed one sustained run of almost 90 m.p.h. for almost three hours.

Looking down to the onboard computer, I could see a consumption fluctuating between 5 litres/100 and 11 litres/100km the entire time. The official Transport Canada rating is 8.3 litres/100 highway, 13.2 city.

Remember, now, the Q7 is heavy, equipped with all-wheel-drive and long list of safety features. Believe it or not, it’s almost the size of a Honda Odyssey and weighs 2,450 kgs. Ours was loaded with a week’s worth of holiday gear in the 308-litre cargo hold, too, not to mention my wife and our two sons, aged 9 and 12, each of whom scored more PSP and video time than they’ve ever had in their lives, all the while cosseted by heated rear seats that offered substantial leg room and power jacks for their electronics.

Not once did the diesel engine feel underpowered, thanks to the 406 lb. ft. of torque the engine produces in such a smooth, hushed and confident way, with most of the power at the low end of the rpm range. Not once did I see any soot or smoke. Not once was I offended by the smell of the exhaust, which in the TDI registers as less potent than gasoline exhaust.

That’s because the Audi diesel, like most of today’s diesels, must meet strict emission standards that have meant a series of radical changes, mostly requiring catalysts, particulate filters, and still another catalyst that uses urea (called AdBlue) to convert the bad exhaust gas into clean nitrogen and water.

Yes, you do have to fill the AdBlue tank from time to time, usually about the time you change your oil, and, yes, occasionally you do have to drive to the next pump to find diesel fuel. But it’s not so onerous as to cross diesel off your shopping list. Over our time with the Q7, only three times did we have to look further, the first in the small town of Scotland, PA. At another station, the pump didn’t have the right size nozzle. The Q7, though, simplified the quest for fuel with a navigation system that showed where the gasoline and diesel stations were located. At each fill, the price of diesel was close to the price of regular, and usually less than premium.

The biggest downside of diesel, though, is not with the vehicles themselves, but the physical condition and cleanliness of the diesel pumps, most of which are black, old and grimy — not the kind of thing the missus is going to appreciate after getting all dolled up in her new white pant suit, especially after you convinced her to spend $75,000 on an SUV (the Q7 TDI starts at $57,700). The older the station, the worse the condition it seemed, and most oil companies should be embarrassed to allow this kind of merchandising on a green product that has the potential to grow their business.

Not all the pumps are in such a sorry state, though, certainly in Canada they were much better than in the U.S.; but I found myself being a bit of a sissy at most fill ups and longing for a set of gloves to avoid getting diesel or dirt on my hands. Keeping a set of leather gloves stowed away would solve the problem.

Back in the driver’s seat, any concerns I had about the filling process evaporated when I looked at the available range on the full tank: 1,020 km, based on our highway consumption rate and the 100-litre tank. That was astonishing. That is almost twice the range of most SUVS. That is why I simply adore diesel.

Leaving Ottawa on a full tank then, we filled up only three times on the journey down, and still had more than half a tank left when we arrived in St. Petersburg, spending a total of $162 to travel just shy of 2,500 kilometres. The computer showed an average speed of 67 mph and an average consumption rate of 8.9 litres/100km. The trip back was similarly efficient, costing us a little more $300 to drive to Florida and back. Most years, we spend more than $500 in gasoline-fueled vehicles.

Recognizing the potential of diesel, Audi has gone on record saying it will build a diesel version for every model it produces. That’s partly in response to legislation requiring car companies to meet higher fuel economy ratings across their entire fleet; but it’s also because Audi, emboldened by three consecutive wins at the 24 Hours of Le Mans with a V10 diesel race car, has continuously strived to be at the forefront of emerging technology.

The question now is not whether diesel is superior, but how long before the public warms to its merits.